Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
England fans are losing faith in Bazball. After sparking a turnaround in form in 2022, the England side under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have hit a bit of a wall this year. Out of 14 Tests, they’ve won seven and lost as many, but it’s more than just the numbers that has fans frustrated.
The lack of adaptation to different situations, especially turning pitches, has seen England come unstuck. After plundering 823/7d in the first Test in Multan, Stokes’ team had few answers on spinning pitches, where Sajid Khan and Noman Ali were rewarded for persisting with good lengths. England did not resort to defensive resilience or technique, which they rarely do under this style of play.
Stokes’ response to the 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan also came for scrutiny. “No”, Stokes replied nonchalantly to a question regarding his tactics against Saud Shakeel, who hit a crucial century in the deciding Test. “That look of disdain when a fair question was asked … honestly, this whole we double down on every decision just comes across as extreme arrogance,” one fan wrote on X.
Another cause of annoyance among England fans is the selection policy. Not only do the likes of Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley have safe positions in the XI despite middling records, but strong County Championship performers aren’t rewarded. Earlier this year, Josh Hull, who had a First Class bowling average above 60, was picked for a Test against Sri Lanka. Now, Jacob Bethell, a spin-bowling all-rounder with a First Class batting average of 25.44 and bowling average of 96.14, has been selected for the tour of New Zealand.
England fans express disatisfaction with Bazball approach
England fans have taken to social media to express their views on Bazball. Michael Vaughan led the chorus of discontent following the series loss to Pakistan. “Fantastic series win for Pakistan. As soon as the pitches started to spin they dominated England. It happened in India last year and now Pakistan. England’s high risk strategy doesn’t work against the spinning ball,” he wrote on X.
Here are some of the reactions.
England’s three-match Test series in New Zealand begins on November 28. Before that, England’s white-ball squads will play three ODIs and five T20Is in West Indies starting October 31.
